Word, Excel, Outlook - cannot create new documents

[PaulB]

I have a Sony RAN810G (or something close to that) running Windows XP Media
Edition. Several weeks ago the hard drive crashed and was replaced. The
technician restored the software to factory original. When I originally
purchased the pc, I also bought Office Professional 2003. After the hard
drive was replaced I installed the office package I had bought. Everything
was working fine until......

yesterday, my wife called me at work to complain that she couldn't create a
new e-mail message in Outlook. When I got home, I did some checking and the
"new" was grayed out as were several other things including options and
customize in tools. I nosed around some more and I found I couldn't create a
document in Word. The document would open but I couldn't type anything and
across the bottom it said something to the effect that about the document was
locked. Excel was the same. I could open a new spreadsheet but couldn't
enter anything into it.

It looks like permission or access - or whatever you call it - is being
denied. I can reinstall Office - after backing up Outlook first - but if it
"locked up" like this once, it could happen again and I'd like to know how to
prevent it from happening again.

Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome. My wife misses her e-mail

Thanks, Paul

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Paul,

If you have a trial edition of Office 2003 on the PC (many shipped that way) it would exhibit this behavior if it had 'expired'. If
you purchased a product key for converting the trial to a full version, or have installed a complete product separately, what
happens if you use the Activate choice in the Word 'help' menu?

==================I have a Sony RAN810G (or something close to that) running Windows XP Media
Edition. Several weeks ago the hard drive crashed and was replaced. The
technician restored the software to factory original. When I originally
purchased the pc, I also bought Office Professional 2003. After the hard
drive was replaced I installed the office package I had bought. Everything
was working fine until......

yesterday, my wife called me at work to complain that she couldn't create a
new e-mail message in Outlook. When I got home, I did some checking and the
"new" was grayed out as were several other things including options and
customize in tools. I nosed around some more and I found I couldn't create a
document in Word. The document would open but I couldn't type anything and
across the bottom it said something to the effect that about the document was
locked. Excel was the same. I could open a new spreadsheet but couldn't
enter anything into it.

It looks like permission or access - or whatever you call it - is being
denied. I can reinstall Office - after backing up Outlook first - but if it
"locked up" like this once, it could happen again and I'd like to know how to
prevent it from happening again.

Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome. My wife misses her e-mail

Thanks, Paul <<
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[PaulB]

Hello Bob.

There is a trial version of Office on the pc. I installed Office separately
from what I had purchased - I did not convert the trial version. I will try
what you suggested when I get home.

Thanks, Bob.

 

[PaulB]

Back again, Bob.

I tried what you suggested - clicked the Activate in Word 'help' - no
change. Actually, I did the same thing in Word, Excel, and Outlook. I even
restarted the computer - no change. Still doesn't work.

I guess what I will have to do is to backup Outlook, uninstall Office and
the free trial, and then reinstall Office. Sound good? Or do you have any
other suggestions?

Thanks for all of your help.